There is a wireless tag device which is provided with an information storage device for storing various types of information, and communicates a radio signal with an inquiry device installed in a specified place, thereby transmitting the stored information to the inquiry.
The wireless tag device has a configuration for receiving an inquiry signal transmitted from the inquiry device, and transmitting a reply signal corresponding to the inquiry signal.
For example, when the identification information for unique identification of a wireless tag device is transmitted as a reply signal in response to the inquiry signal from the inquiry device, the inquiry device which has received the reply signal can determine from which wireless tag device the reply signal has been transmitted.
If the wireless tag device is attached to a target object or person to be managed, and the correspondence between the target to be managed and the identification information set in the wireless tag device is stored in the inquiry device or the host device for controlling the inquiry device, then the inquiry device can manage the existence of the target to be managed according to the reply signal received from the wireless tag device.
The wireless tag device can be a passive system for obtaining driving power from a wireless wave transmitted from the inquiry device or an active system for obtaining driving power from a power source such as a battery etc.
As an example of using the wireless tag device, a device configured to be attached to clothing to collect the information about the clothing stored in a clothing warehouse is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-200383 (hereafter referred to as the patent document 1).
The device described in the patent document 1 is provided with a reading device for reading the information transmitted from the wireless tag device attached to the clothing, and is a clothing warehouse for transmitting the information about wearing history when the information about the wireless tag device can be continuously read in a period of a specified wearing season.
In the device described in the patent document 1, the information from the wireless tag device attached to the clothing taken from a warehouse cannot be read. Therefore, the wireless tag device having the period in which the information cannot be continuously read can be determined as having the possibility that the corresponding clothing has been taken out of the warehouse. The clothing from which the information about the wireless tag device has been continuously read can be considered as the clothing which has not been taken out or worn.